Dogs of the Navy SEALs

When U.S. President Barack Obama went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky earlier for a highly publicized, but very private meeting with the commando team that killed Osama bin Laden, only one of the 81 members of the super-secret SEAL DevGru unit was identified by name: Cairo, the war dog. Cairo, like most canine members of the elite U.S. Navy SEALs, is a Belgian Malinois. The Malinois breed is similar to German shepherds but smaller and more compact, with an adult male weighing in the 30-kilo range.

Belgian Malinois Navy SEAL Dog

German shepherds are still used as war dogs by the American military but the lighter, stubbier Malinois is considered better for the tandem parachute jumping and rappelling operations often undertaken by SEAL teams. Labrador retrievers are also favoured by various military organizations around the world.

Like their human counterparts, the dog SEALs are highly trained, highly skilled, highly motivated special ops experts, able to perform extraordinary military missions by Sea, Air and Land (thus the acronym). The dogs carry out a wide range of specialized duties for the military teams to which they are attached: With a sense of smell 40 times greater than a human’s, the dogs are trained to detect and identify both explosive material and hostile or hiding humans. The dogs are twice as fast as a fit human, so anyone trying to escape is not likely to outrun Cairo or his buddies.

Airborne Dog!

The dogs, equipped with video cameras, also enter certain danger zones first, allowing their handlers to see what’s ahead before humans follow. As I mentioned before, SEAL dogs are even trained parachutists, jumping either in tandem with their handlers or solo, if the jump is into water. Last year canine parachute instructor Mike Forsythe and his dog Cara set the world record for highest man-dog parachute deployment, jumping from more than 30,100 feet up – the altitude transoceanic passenger jets fly at. Both Forsythe and Cara were wearing oxygen masks and skin protectors for the jump. Here’s a photo from that jump, taken by Andy Anderson for K9 Storm Inc. (more about those folks shortly).

As well, the dogs are faithful, fearless and ferocious – incredibly frightening and efficient attackers. When the SEAL DevGru team (usually known by its old designation, Team 6) hit bin Laden’s Pakistan compound on May 2, Cairo ‘s feet would have been four of the first on the ground. And like the human SEALs, Cairo was wearing super-strong, flexible body Armour and outfitted with high-tech equipment that included “doggles” – specially designed and fitted dog goggles with night-vision and infrared capability that would even allow Cairo to see human heat forms through concrete walls.

Now where on earth would anyone get that kind of incredibly niche hi-tech doggie gear? From Winnipeg, of all places. Jim and Glori Slater’s Manitoba hi-tech mom-and-pop business, K9 Storm Inc., has a deserved worldwide reputation for designing and manufacturing probably the best body Armour available for police and military dogs. Working dogs in 15 countries around the world are currently protected by their K9 Storm body Armour.

Highest Man-Dog Parachute Deployment

Jim Slater was a canine handler on the Winnipeg Police Force when he crafted a Kevlar protective jacket for his own dog, Olaf, in the mid-1990s. Soon Slater was making body Armour for other cop dogs, then the Canadian military and soon the world. The standard K9 Storm vest also has a load-bearing harness system that makes it ideal for tandem rappelling and parachuting.

Airborne Dog Enjoying a Tandem Jump

And then there are the special hi-tech add-ons that made the K9 Storm especially appealing to the U.S. Navy SEALs, who bought four of K9 Storm Inc.’s top-end Intruder “canine tactical assault suits” last year for $86,000. You can be sure Cairo was wearing one of those four suits when he jumped into bin Laden’s lair.

Here’s an explanation of all the K9 Storm Intruder special features:

K9 Storm Body Armour

Just as the Navy SEALS and other elite special forces are the sharp point of the American military machine, so too are their dogs at the top of a canine military heirarchy. In all, the U.S. military currently has about 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed around the world, with roughly 600 now in Afghanistan and Iraq. Several of the photos I have included here are from Foreign Policy, as you will see. Other photos are from K9 Storm Inc.

Air Assault Dogs

As for the ethics of sending dogs to war, that’s pretty much a moot point, don’t you think? If it’s ethical to send humans into combat, then why not dogs? The U.S. now treats its war dogs as full members of the military.

About the Author

Brandon Webb
is a former Navy SEAL, and combat veteran, with deployments to Afghanistan, and Iraq. His last tour he served as Chief Petty Officer & Naval Special Warfare sniper Course Manager. He is the founder of Hurricane Media, a Dad to three amazing kids, Experimental Pilot, and New York Times bestselling author. His books include his bestselling memoir, The Red Circle, Among Heroes, Benghazi: The Definitive Report, The Killing School, The Power of Thought, and Total Focus.

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A M

Training a K9 for protection purposes is in my top 10 for must have life skills... yet very few have the ability [I'm still working on it...with my first Mali no less] It's like having a deadly force body guard 24/7. In 30 years when my eyes are gone and my reflexes are slow--- there's going to be a lightning fast warrior (or two, or three) watching my back. I won't need to fumble around looking for my 9MM in the dark when I'm 75 because there's 70 pounds of hell on earth coming at anyone wishing me or my family harm. Right now I don't worry about my wife and kid when I'm gone. Learning how to train a dog to track or take down a bad guy is right up there with advancing in BJJ or getting proficient with a pistol in my book.
If you watch - there are videos of 7 year old girls handling these deadly dogs in the ring. That said, the Mali is not for the faint of heart. I was 2 years before I came home from work without my wife saying she wanted to send ours back. It's worth it if you get can get past that stage.

e224

Great article, glad you posted it. Dogs are absolutely the best (sorry cat lovers)! Always loved searching buildings with them and giving them drinks out of the drinking fountain.